


Sunrise

by Seeking7



Series: Gift Fics 💖 [5]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Domestic Fluff, He's truly an interesting character, Kind of a character study of Twi, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Malon loves Twilight and Twilight loves Malon, There's a little dash of angst in there but it gets hugged away, Time dad-snores, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Twilight (Linked Universe) Needs a Hug, Twilight (Linked Universe)-centric, and he gets one, mother-son bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:49:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27811030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seeking7/pseuds/Seeking7
Summary: Time has an axolotl mask.Malon wants to show it to Twilight, even though it's midnight.+++++Just some sweet Malon and Twilight mother-son bonding! My birthday gift to Spiff from the Linked Universe Discord. Happy (late) birthday, my wonderful friend!
Relationships: Malon (Legend of Zelda) & Twilight (Linked Universe)
Series: Gift Fics 💖 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911241
Comments: 17
Kudos: 113





	Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> "Sunrise, sunrise  
> Looks like mornin' in your eyes  
> But the clock's held 9:15 for hours  
> Sunrise, sunrise  
> Couldn't tempt us if it tried  
> 'Cause the afternoon's already come and gone" 
> 
> \- Sunrise by Norah Jones 
> 
> ++++++
> 
> I like to think that Malon sings this song whenever she's working around the ranch. I also like to think that it reminds her of Twilight. She's a good mom, and he's a good son. Here's the song instrumental if you wanted some extra ambience while reading the story! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT-IznJrXBM&ab_channel=POPVocalBackingTrack) 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little story! And, Spiff, if you're reading this, I wanted to wish you a happy birthday!

Twilight had always wondered what his ancestors were like. 

It was a question that had clogged his mind during the long days he spent in Rusl's forge, cool mornings attending to the goats, and humid afternoons sweating in the fields. He had dreamed up images of cunning, dark-eyed merchants and wise, level-headed businessmen, occasionally allowing his mind to wander to absurd places like the nobility and Hyrule Castle itself. But the sun always set, and the fantasies always melted away, and Twilight had always gone to bed chastising himself for making himself out to be bigger than he was. 

His first adventure had changed everything. 

Twilight had ended his journey with the Triforce emblazoned on his hand and a deep unease in his stomach. The stench of dusk clung to him like poison. His tunic always smelled like blood. No matter how many drinks he had or how many hours he laid awake at night, he couldn't forget the things he had learned. He couldn’t forget the innocent blood he had seen spilled, the legacy that stuck to him like mud, or the voices begging him for deliverance. Merchants. Monarchs. Demons. Deities -- he had seen them all.

And perhaps worst of all, he had met his ancestor. 

And his world had been turned upside down. 

To be suddenly connected to something far greater than himself -- to know beyond a doubt that he was somehow, in some way, descended from something great, had left him strangely afraid. The burden of having to carry someone else's legacy along with his own felt like burning coals heaped on his back, and sleep evaded him as he thought about the dim future that lay ahead.

Twilight’s question finally had an answer, but not the one he wanted.

The memories of his ignorance were warm in the back of his mind: familiar, inviting, nostalgic. He would have given the world to go back to a time where he was really only a farm boy, only a village bumpkin who spoke with a clunky accent and too many hand gestures. 

Years passed, and he grew resentful of the birthmark on his hand.

His second adventure had changed everything. 

He hadn’t even been traveling with the other Links for a full week before he found himself inexorably attached to them. He’d developed a strange fondness in Wind's brash, bold laughter, a protectiveness for Wild's smile, an admiration for Sky's elegant wood-carvings. He stayed up late playing cards with Hyrule and laughing at Warriors’ crass, risque jokes. Four's passion for blacksmithing had reawakened Twilight's childhood memories of him and Rusl, Legend's contagious sarcasm and lopsided grin had made its way into the ranch hand's own mannerisms. 

In the other heroes, Twilight had found pieces of heroism and pieces of himself. 

And in Time, Malon, and Lon-Lon-Ranch, Twilight had found answers. 

Answers about his ancestors. Answers about himself. 

Answers far better than any he could have asked for. 

And a home far better than any he could have asked for. 

The sun had set on Lon-Lon Ranch's horizon some hours ago, and the only sounds in the world were those of weary travelers falling asleep. Time's muffled snoring floated from upstairs, punctuated by the occasional grunt and rustle of blankets. Wind muttered in his sleep and Four curled up beneath the blankets, wedging himself between Warriors and Wild. Sky and Legend snored back to back, and Hyrule slumbered happily beneath a mountain of plush duvets. 

Only Malon and Twilight were still awake.The two sat side-by-side in the living room, listening to the fire crackle in the hearth as they sipped on drinks far too sugary to be drinking at midnight. 

"Why don't you go to bed?" Malon asked, her voice so heavy with sleepiness that Twilight was tempted to ask her the same question. 

"...I'm not tired," he mumbled. 

"So stubborn. You're definitely Link's descendent," Malon said. 

An unfamiliar warmth enveloped Twilight. He bit his lip and forced a neutral face, turning his face toward the fire to distract himself. Goosebumps pebbled down his neck as the fire's heat licked his skin. He sighed and rested his head on his hands, trying to keep his eyelids open. 

“So, tell me,” Malon continued. “What is my husband like when he’s with you all? Please don’t say he’s as grumpy as he is with our clients here on the ranch.” 

Twilight laughed. Malon smiled at the noise. 

“Ah, he’s not that bad. A bit cryptic, maybe. Secretive, of course. He likes to mess with us sometimes. But he’s a great leader” 

“Mess with you? Are you sure we’re talking about the same person?” Malon quipped, her face alight with curiosity. Twilight grinned and scratched the back of his neck. 

“Yeah, sometimes he plays these little pranks on us. There was this one time that he put on this mask and scared the living daylights out of the captain. Man, you should have heard Warriors scream. His voice was so high-pitched it could have broken glass.” 

Malon giggled, her face brightening as she imagined the scenario. 

“Of course he took those masks with him,” she said, her voice tight with mirth. “Some men, when instructed by the goddesses to go on a long and perilous adventure, might take rupees or bandages or stationary to write back to their family with. My husband is the kind of man who would bring a bag of his favorite childhood masks and a can of fish bait.” 

It was Twilight’s turn to laugh. Something about the disconnect between Time’s ever-present frown and his fondness for simple, childish things made the situation even funnier. 

“Did he really bring  _ all _ of his masks?” Twilight wondered aloud. Malon placed her hand on her chin, eyes squinted as she sifted through her memories.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t believe he did. I remember finding a few of his newer ones when I was cleaning out the attic last week.” Malon stood up and smoothed out the folds in her nightgown before turning to Twilight, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I have an idea. Wait here.” 

Malon hurried upstairs, her bare feet hardly making a sound on the wooden flooring. Twilight watched her go. He hadn’t the faintest idea what Malon was planning, but he was curious nonetheless. 

She returned a few minutes later with a strange bundle held in her arms. With uncharacteristic haste, Malon stuffed her bare feet in a pair of boots lying by the door and gestured for Twilight to do the same. Propelled half by curiosity and half by concern at what could have suddenly gotten Malon so worked up, Twilight pulled on his boots and followed her outside. 

The midnight air was warm and muggy, so saturated with ivory moonlight that it was difficult to breathe. Wooden gates and archways huddled in a thick coat of shadow, watching without comment as Malon and Twilight hurried by. Fireflies flitted through the air and left friendly polka-dots of light on the grass beneath them.

The whole world smelled like horses, milk, and home. 

Twilight trailed on Malon’s heels, his hands tentatively held in front of him lest the woman trip over something and need him to catch her. She skipped on without a worry, leading Twilight to a corner of the ranch where a few scenic ponds glittered in the moonlight. Fairies danced over the surface of the water, casting haloes of pink light around and beneath them. 

“What is this place?” Twilight asked. It looked almost like a fairy fountain, albeit one huddled underneath a lone apple tree on the furthest corner of the ranch. 

“Just a little pond,” Malon explained, taking a seat at the water’s edge. She patted the ground beside her in invitation for Twilight to sit next to her. “There was a storm on the ranch a while back. It tore through the fields and left little ponds all over. Link dried most of them with those fire arrows he has. But apparently neither of us had noticed this one -- at least, not for a while. When we finally happened upon it, it turned out that a small colony of fairies had started living here. My husband didn’t have the heart to get rid of it after that. I guess it’s our own oasis, now.” 

The image of Time and Malon sitting side-by-side at the pond’s soggy bank made Twilight smile. For some reason, every hypothetical happiness those two shared had a way of comforting his soul as well. 

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Malon said as she hurriedly unwrapped the bundle in her arms. “I wanted to show this to you. Here, take a look!” 

Malon handed something flat and wooden to Twilight. The ranch hand took it with excessive haste, embarrassed at being caught off guard. It took him a few minutes to guess what he was holding in his hands. Even when he settled upon a conclusion, the confused expression on his face made it clear that he didn’t take much stock in it. 

“Is this some sort of mask?” Twilight finally asked, tilting the object forward in his palms so the moonlight could better illuminate it. 

“Yes! Link calls it his ‘axolotl’ mask. Out of all the ones he has, I think this one is my favorite. Here, put it on!” 

Twilight bit his lip and scrutinized the strange-looking mask. It looked more like a bloated triangle than anything else, with long, curled fringes sticking out on each side. The wood had been painted a creamy pink that gave it a humble, almost endearing sheen that meshed childishly with the bright pink paint of the side fringes. In all honesty, the mask looked absolutely harmless, yet the faint prickle of magic in the mask’s wood grains still set him on edge. 

“Come on,” Malon urged. “I promise it won’t hurt you!” 

Still visibly unconvinced, Twilight put on the mask. 

Nothing happened. 

He was about to take off the mask and hand it back to Malon, but stopped when she let out a delighted giggle. 

“Look! Look, Twilight, here they come!” Malon exclaimed, dipping her finger in the pond and twirling them above the surface of the water. 

Twilight watched first in confusion and then in astonishment as tiny sea creatures wriggled up from the bottom of the pond. They looked like tiny, pink salamanders bearing a strange resemblance to the mask on Twilight’s face, and the confused look on their faces nearly made him laugh aloud. 

“What are these?” Twilight asked, watching as the little creatures dashed around in the water like happy fish. Red, frilly protrusions twitched about their cheeks as they wriggled between Malon’s fingers. 

“Link told me that they’re called axolotls. They only come out when you put on that mask and sit close to a little pond or puddle like this one. Aren’t they delightful? Here, dip your fingers in!” 

Twilight squinted, trying to puzzle out the scene in front of him, and yelped girlishly as Malon took his hand and dropped it in the water. The cluster of axolotls huddled around Twilight’s hand and gently bumped against his knuckles. It almost seemed like they were greeting him, welcoming him back home…

The night slipped away with a ballerina’s grace, sliding towards the horizon until only a whisper of stars were left. The skin of Twilight’s fingertips grew warped and wrinkled from the water, and his eyelids slipped downwards as sleep overtook him. 

"What a sleepy baby," Malon murmured, running her fingers through his hair. Twilight flushed and turned back to face her, the expression on his face growing soft when he saw the tears in Malon's eyes. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset, I can go to bed right now, I--" 

Malon laughed and shook her head, then placed her hands on either side of Twilight's face. 

"Look at me, young man." 

Twilight did. The last dredges of night faded away, and the first beams of daylight burst over the horizon.

"I want you to keep the mask.” 

“Why?” Twilight sputtered, trying not to shirk too rudely from Malon’s gentle touch. 

“I want you to keep the mask, and remember us. Me, and my husband, and our little ranch. As much as I wish I could, I can’t always be with you. Neither can Link. Something will happen to us one day -- good or bad, I don’t know -- but I always want you to be able to carry a little memory of us with you.” 

Twilight blinked quickly and nodded slowly. 

He still had questions. He still had worries. He still had answers he wished he never did. 

But the overwhelming blessing of being loved burned in his heart, and the thoughts melted away. His eyelids slipped, his posture softened, and the Hero of Twilight fell asleep in Malon’s arms. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> And that's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed. Kudos mean the world and I always make sure to reply to each and every comment, so if you have any questions or thoughts about the story, I'd be glad to hear them! 
> 
> Once again, happy (late) birthday, Spiff! And to all you other wonderful people, happy holidays! I hope this season is filled with lots of family and good-wishes for all of you. Take care, yall 💖


End file.
